Specialist Topics in Astrophysics (U01423)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : PHY-4-SpeTopAst

Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: One of the biggest questions in modern-day astronomy is whether other stars have planetary systems similar to our own and whether they harbour Earth-like planets, possibly containing life. This course will cover the enormous progress that has been made in recent years in the understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve. Describing the methods used it will discuss the level of success so far achieved in detecting extrasolar planets and will address fundamental questions such as to whether our Solar System is unique. A key part of the course will be to look towards the future and examine the likelihood of finding Earth-like planets around nearby stars in our lifetimes. The search for biomarkers leading to the possible discovery of life will also be addresseed.

Gamma Ray Bursts: Short, but very bright, bursts of gamma-radiation (GRBs) lasting seconds to minutes are detected once a day and have been shown to originate from great cosmological distances. This implies an extreme luminosity, the brightest bursts seemingly managing to outshine the rest of the Universe during their outbreak. Although during the last 3 years these observations have been solidified, the 30-year old mystery of what actually powers the GRBs still remains. Only the most energetic occurrences, hypernovae or neutron stars being swallowed by black holes, are viable candidates to explain these cataclysmic events. After laying observational foundations, this course will investigate possible explanations for GRBs.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : At least 40 credit points accrued in courses of SCQF Level 9 or 10 drawn from Schedule Q, including Galaxies, Quasars & the Universe (PHY-3-GalQuas) and Physics of Stars & Nebulae (PHY-3-StarNeb).

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Undergraduate (School of Physics), (School of Physics, Schedule Q)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	12:10	13:00	Other
Lecture	Thursday	12:10	13:00	Other

? Additional Class Information : Lecture times will be 1220-1310

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the student will have an understanding of the observations and of the current models for explanation of gamma-ray bursts. The student will be able to relate the merits of different models to the observations, including gravitational waves and should be able to discuss the viability of the current models in light recent historical evolution.

Upon successful completion of this course it is intended that the student will be able to:

1)state and explain observational facts of gamma-ray bursts and why these are a challenge to interpret
2)state and explain detailed models of gamma-ray bursts and compare their merits
3)discuss how the models match the observations and discriminate between models
4)discuss the history of the models in light of the evolution of the observations and judge the current viability of the models
5)describe aspects of the transformation of energy from the central engine to the observed radiation via the fireball
6)explain why gravitational waves might be important for gamma-ray bursts, how they are detected and apply relevant formulae
7)discuss how gamma-ray burst are becoming a tool important to cosmology